Support for 150 Sexually Exploited Women in Nepal

Background of the Organizations

Raksha Nepal (RN)-(Protection Nepal), established in 2004, is an NGO dedicated to help those women who, in order to support themselves and their children, are forced into prostitution. RN helps women’s transition into safe occupation where they can earn a decent living and assure a secure and steady future. RN is determined and committed towards the overall welfare of the women involved in compulsive prostitution, so that their daughters would not have to follow the same path as their mothers.

 The Problem and RN’s long-term Goal

Nepali women face multiple forms of discrimination. Existing cultural and legal inequalities are also some of the causes of abuse and exploitation. Illiterate, poor and lack of any skills, these women, who seek to escape their situation, are tricked or compelled in to sex work. The most exploitative businesses are the massage parlors, dance bars and cabin restaurants of the growing urbanization. A decade long conflict in Nepal has aggravated the problem. Rural women are forced to leave their homes and seek jobs in the cities. Once there, they realize that the only employment available is in businesses which eventually force them into sex work as prostitution.

RN’s 7 years of experience has enhanced the organization to deal with different target groups as well as with other stakeholders. The ultimate goal of this project would be to form a strong union or association of the target groups. This will be an important campaign for RN. The Union ultimately will be acting as an advocate for workers in the entertainment sectors.  The workers, as such are the most marginalized groups in the country, who face a higher risk of gender based violence than in any other job sector.  This is serious issue and RN is stepping up and working with the beneficiaries to tackle this problem in the work place violence.

Specific Goal of the Program

The specific goal of this program is to empower and economically strengthen the target groups of the Raksha Nepal (Support for 150 Sexually Expolited Women in Nepal) by providing alternative livelihood skills, thereby encouraging those women to change their current occupation to a respective one.

Target Group

RN’s has been working with the sexually exploited women,  who work at dance bars, cabin restaurants, massage parlors and restaurants, as well as displaced women and children at risk of exploitation. The project will be implemented from among the target groups of the Raksha Nepal where there are already 200 (this time) women in the group.   In the course of the Advocacy project implementation, the target group is definitely going to increase.  At the same time the demand for the alternative skill will also is foreseen to be increased.

Objectives of the program

•   To promote the group members through the concrete support.
•   To provide skill trainings as per target groups demands.
•   To empower the target groups by providing awareness raising program and skill trainings.
•   To win their confidence
•   To make them skilled and self dependent

 Expected Results

• They will regularly engage in groups and they start their own work with the seed money
• Gained confidence through their skills and engage in the respective occupation
• They will become close towards the organizations and they will have strong belief
• Greater understanding and awareness of women about their rights and assertion of their rights and how to access them
• They will be able to establish their relation in society through their skill and their respective work they engage
• Increased capacity of girls and women working in entertainment sectors through networks and association to gain equal and better working rights and conditions.

Activities of the program 

• Further discussion with them on their interests and demand for skills.
• Prioritize and select women who are regularly engaged in groups and have participated in various activities organized by RN in the Advocacy project as well this project.
• Select the respective training institutions
• Coordinate with institutions and organizations that provide the required trainings and skill.
• Regularly monitoring the training institutions to ensure the quality and performance of the target groups.

Out comes of the Project

Raksha Nepal had been conducted various vocational/skill trainings program support through various individual donors in Global Giving on project Support for 150 sexually Exploited Women in Nepal - # 10071. RN successfully provided different trainings to 40 women based on their interest in starting phase. RN evaluated all the participants of their attendance during the training period; very active and sincere with their part hope they will use their skill on escape them from the current status.

• 15 women were got the Advance swing/cutting training in March 2012 to May 2012. Women regularly getting training also practically in Raksha Nepal instructed by trainer; 12 women were getting the training from the RN office training center and rest of the 3 women were getting the training from the other training institution which is located the near from their resident. All participants of this training were seemed very happy and very confident. “I felt very happy and thankful to Raksha and all the individuals who support us; now I made the plan to start my own tailoring center coolaborate with other women friends who want to start own business. I hope Raksha and our small collected fund will support me on that occasion.” Said Ranuka Dhaurali who was one of the participants of these training, also she is from Raksha Ekata women’s group, Thamel.
• 8 women were participated in Hair cutting/ Beauty parlor training in March 2012 to May 2012 in Nirjala beauty Parlor training center, Thamel. All 8 participants seemed very confident and skillful; they demonstrate their skill first with Raksha’s children’s hair cut and we Raksha team felt very happy to seem their skill. Raksha’s chairperson got promise them will help them to searching job for them in different beauty parlors. “Either I will go my home town and will start my own parlor or I will go abroad to earn money with my skill, I hope I will success with this skill” said Sunita Adhikari from Raksha Namuna women’s group, Thamel who was one of the training participants of the training.
•  Raksha Nepal provides cookery training to 3 group members from March 2012 to May 2012. They are receiving cookery training in good training institute in Kathmandu. All 3 participants were done their training very honestly and very hard labour. “ I learned some very new tips and skill from the training, I hope this will make me a more professional in my future job…” said Sima Chantyal from Raksha Pargatisil women’s group in Mitranagar; who was one of the training participants of the training .
• Raksha Nepal provided driving training for 3 women’s from April 2012 it’s ongoing till July 2012 including getting license time. Participated 3 women’s are very excited and they are much cleared they will get the driving job after complete their training and getting the license. “ Driving  my passion and dream, so I’m sure I will fulfill my dream as soon as possible that’s why I am doing hard work, paying attention in my training”  said Maiya  Ghimire, one of the training participants of this training from the Raksha Sahayogi women’s Group, Chabhil- Kathmandu.           
• 10 women and girls were got the basic English language practice from the Raksha Nepal. Raksha’s volunteer had been trained them in a couple of month. They all are very happy and hopeful; this practice will help them better performance in their job than before. “ I am very excited and happy and I hope I will provide better service to my foreign costumer than before and I’m sure this will easy to my daily work life…” said Manita Dhungel from the Raksha Ekata women’s group, Thamel who was one of the participants of that training.     

Overall Impact of this project

As mentioned before in proposal about the expected results; after completed the additional project we can say we start achieved our expect. Women and girls who were not involved in those training programs them also interested now.  Raksha trained and organized strongly at least to 40 members through these valuable trainings and also they seemed very strong and self confident after getting these trainings. Some has decided start their own business and some had decided do with best performance in their same business.

Raksha will help up these women and girls will interact and discuss with related stakeholders. Now, trained women and girls can strongly talk with police and others who do misbehave intentionally; they will show their skill on their own small business near future. All most all women and girls also excited to know about the seed money in new project; they are very hopeful to will start their own small business and they will earn money themselves in near future. This project playing positive vital role in group member’s periphery; everyone excited even staff also and they gained trust with group members. 

 Future Plan    

Raksha Nepal has been decided in near future or next program will provide them some seed money to selected members (who were graduadation )for establish their own business and also they have collected money in group so they can also mobilize that fund. So, Raksha will at any cost will establish them as their wishes.

Raksha Nepal will coordinate with other related stakeholders or donors for support them and will support them for raise their voice strongly among the duty bearers. Rest of the 110 women and girls will starting their trainings when manage the estimated fund even Raksha Nepal will coordinating with other donors for that. This training program will continue for selected group members and we will also coordinate with global giving team for fund raising.

Thanks to all Respected donors

I would like to thank all supporters of our project and Global Giving team for the generous fund support to our project during the challenge. Our project is going to achieve huge success, and that success would not have been possible without all of your help. The support funds will be used to skill trainings to needy women and girls, so you are truly making a difference in women's lives. Thank you on behalf of Raksha Nepal, and from those women and girls who are really need your support in future also.In future we are also trying to getting fund for rest of 110 more women and girls for skill trainings this year.

Respectfully,

Rabin Malla

Program Leader

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